Edge-smoothing machine.



y W. BARTHOLOMEW. 'I

EDGE SMOOTHING MACHINE.

,APPLICATION FILED APB.. 29, 1904- linnn iff PATENTBD MAY 23,' 1905.

UNITED STATES'A Patented May 23, 195i.

PATENT OFFICE.

- WILLIAM BARTHOLOMEV, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO TROY LAUNDRYMACHINERY COMPANY, LIMITED, OF TROY, NEW YORK,

A OORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

EDeE-sMooTHlNGMACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,549, dated May 23,1905.

i Application iiled April 29, 1904. Serial No. 205,612.

To all whom/it www concern:

Be it known thatLWILLIAM BARTI-IOLOMEW,

lacitizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county ofNew York, State of New York, have invented' certain new and usefulImprovements in Edge-Smoothing Machines,

` of which the following is a specification, refironing operation; andthe present invention has for its object to present this `edge toasmoothing-surface having sufficient moisture to`soften.the rough edgeand permit it to be ironed by contact with the heated vfacefof thesmoothing-surface as such an article is drawn or moved along such asurface. In order to prevent any excess ofy moisture, as well as theimpingement of a direct jet of steam upon the article so-treated, whichwould injure the finish thereof, means are provided in this machine forobstructing the direct flow of the jet of steam, such means beingpreferably of `an absorbent character and'disposed to intercept thesteam-passage extending from a steam-chamber' to the smoothing-surface.

A further'object o f the invention is to provide guide-plates adjacentto the smoothingsurface adapted to facilitate the introduction andmovement of the article in contact with said surface and one ofv saidYplates being suitably apertured to prevent the lcollection of moisturethereon and to retain it in a suit-able cooled condition, so that itwill not injure the surface of a starched and ironed article placed incontact therewith.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will behereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined theappended claims. In the drawings, Flgure l is a perspective .of theinvention; Fig. 2, a central vertical secnut A3, into which a steam-pipeAfis threaded and projects downwardly through the steam- 'chamber intothe discharge or drip pipe A5.

The steam-pipe is provided within thechami ber A with a suitable outletA5 to permit the discharge of dry steam into the chamber, while thesteam discharged from the lower end of the pipe will also rise throughthe drainpipe into the chamber, and the moisture or water ofcondensation will be discharged from the feed-pipe directly into thedrain. This drain-pipe may be supported from the chamber in any desiredmanner '-for instance, by means of the nut A7, threaded into an apertureAas in the lowerportion thereof and having an interiorly-tlneadedsurface to receive the pipe A5.

.Disposed at one side of the chamber A is a sired configuration toaccommodate the character of work to be performed thereon-for instance,slightly curved at its opposite ends ISL-while extendinginward from thissmoothing-surface are a series of passages B2, extending to andcommunicating with the steamchamber A, so as to conduct a jet of steamfrom said chamber to the smoothing-surface.

These passages may be disposed in any pre-I ferred manner; but as hereinshown they are disposed radially to the center of the chambersmoothing-surface B, which may be of the de- 5 between the passages toperform an ironing` function in the passage of an article across theface. The direct contact of a steam-jet with a starched and ironedarticle would destroy the finish thereof, and for that purpose an obxostruction is disposed to prevent this direct flow and to diminish thedegree of moisture which will be presented at the open end of thepassages. rIhis obstruction may be secured by different means; but asshowing a desirable form thereof I have illustrated herein a chamber B3,extending transversely across and intereepting each of the passages, andwithin this chamber an obstructing medium 1s placedsuch, for instance,as an absorbent-cotton. 2o wick, as shown at Bf-which retards the d1-rect passage of the steam-jet and regulates the degree of moisture whichcan be applied to the edge of the article brought into contact with thesmoothing-surface. For the purpose of supporting this article in contactwith the surface and properly guiding the same a lower supporting-plateC is provided, which is suitmably apertured, as shown at C, for thepurpose of retaining this plate at a lower temgo perature than thesmoothing-surface and also for preventingthe collection of moisturethereon. The plate C is provided with a vertical wall C2, adapted toabut against the lower face of thesmoothing-surface B, and at each endwith a rearwardl '-extending luO or ear (1313e- 33 l: b

neath said surface, the opposite ends C* of the plate being suitablycurved or deflected downwardly to facilitate the introduction of anarticle between it and the upper plate D, which 4o is similarlydeiiected in an opposite direction at its ends D', as shown in Fig. 1.This upper guide-plate D is provided with a vertical flange D2 and withrearwardly-extending lugs D3, through which and into the lugs C3 of thelower plate extend suitable secu rin g-screws D4,

passingv also through the body of the smoothing-face B.

In the operation of the invention the collar or other article to besmoothed is introduced 5o betweenthe guide-plates, as shown by dottedlines in Fig. 2, and drawn longitudinally along the smoothing-surface incontact therewith. During this movement the moisture emitted from. thesteam-passages softens the starch 5 5 upon the edge of the article,which edge is immediately brought into contact with the heated face ofthe smoothing-surface between adjacent passages and an ironing functioneffectedwhich restores the finish to the edge while 6o removing anyprojecting or roughened surfaces whiclifrequently occur upon starchedarticles, particularly after they are worn to someextent.

It will be seen that the structure of steamcylinder permits theintroduction of dry or superheated steam therein and readily conductstherefromany water or moisture which may be carried by the steam-pipe,so that the same will be drained into the discharge or cxhaust pipe atthe lower portion of the chamber.

It will be obvious that changes may be made in the details ofconstruction and configuration of this invention without departing fromthe spirit thereof as defined by the appended claims.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an edge-smoothing machine, a smoothing-surface having asteam-conducting passage, and meanslocated in said passage forobstructing the direct iiow and diminishing the degree of moisture ofsteam passing through said means.

2. In an edge-smoothing machine, a steamchamber, a smoothing-surfacehaving a passage communicating therewith, and absorbent means introducedinto said passage to prevent the direct liow of steam to thesmoothing-surface.

3. In an edge-smoothing machine, a steamchamber, a smoothing-surfacedisposed atone side thereof and provided with a passage communicatingwith said chamber, and means intercepting said passage for obstructingthe direct passage of the steam to said surface and diminishing thedegree of moisture therein.

4. In an edge-smoothing machine, ay steamchamber, a smoothing-surfacedisposed at one side thereof and provided with a passage communicatingwith said chamber, means intercepting said passage to prevent the directpassage of steam to said surface, a guide-plate beneath said surface,and a coperatingguidcplate above said surface.

5. In an edge-smoothing machine, a steamchamber, a smoothi11g-surfacedisposed at one side thereof and provided with a passage communicatingwith said chamber, means intercepting said passage to prevent the directpassage of steam to said surface, a guide-plate beneath said surface,anda cooperating guideplate above said surface, the opposite ends ofsaid plates being curved away 'from each other.

6. In an edge-smoothing machine, a steamchamber, a smoothing-surfaeedisposed at one Side thereof and provided with a passage communicatingwith said chamber, means intercepting said passage to prevent the directpassage of steam to said surface, a guide-plate beneath said surface,acooperating guide-plate above said surface, the opposite ends of saidplates being curved away from cach other-,lugs projectingfrom saidplates toward the smoothing-surface, and securing means extendingthrough said lugs and body of the smoothingsurface.

7. In an edge-smoothing-machine, a steam- IOO IlO

chamber, asmoothing-surface having a series of passages extending tosaldchamber, and a packing-chamber extending longitudinally of thesmoothing-surface and provided with a packing to obstruct the directflow of the steam through said passages.

l 8. In an edge-smoothing machine, a steamchamber, a smoothing-surfaceupon a side wall of said chamber and having a series ofpassages-extending to said chamber, a packing-chamber extendinglongitudinally of the smoothing-surface and provided with a packing toobstruct the direct iiow of steam through said passages, adischarge-pipe at the lower portion oi' said .steam-chamber,Y andasteampipe extending through said chamber into the discharge-pipe andprovided within the chamber with discharge-openings.

9. In an edge-smoothing machine, a steamchamber, a smoothing-surfacehaving a series of passages extending to said chamber, a packing-chamberextending longitudinally of the smoothing-surface and provided with apacking to obstruct the direct How of steam through said passages, adischarge-pipe'at the lower portion of said steam-chamber, a steam-pipeextending through said chamber into the discharge-pipe and providedwithin the chamber with .discharge-openings, a lower aperturedsupporting-plate at one side of the smoothingsurface, and a cooperatingplate at the opposite side of the smoothing-surface.

10. In an edge-smoothing machine, a steamchamber, a smoothing-surfacehaving passages communicating with said chamber and ironing-facesbetween 'said passages and means located in said passages forobstructing the direct iiow and diminishing the degree of moisture ofsteam passing therethrough.

l1. In an edge-smoothing machine, a smoothing-surface com prisingdampening and ironing means, a steam-chamber having a passagecommunicating with said surface, means ber, and a feed-pipe extendingdownward .through said chamber and discharging into said discharge-pipeand having steam-outlets within the chamber.

12. In an edge-smoothing machine, a steamchamber, a smoothing-surfacehaving communication with said chamber, an apertured supporting-plateextending parallel with said surface, and a cooperating guide-plateextending parallel to the supporting-plate. y

v 13. In an ed ge-smoothing machine, a steamchamber, a smoothing-surfacehaving passages communicating with said chamber and provided with alongitudinal groove or channel curved inward at its opposite ends andmeans located in said passages for obstructing the direct flow anddiminishing the degree of moisture of steam passing therethrough.

14.v In an edge-smoothing machine, a steamchamber, a smoothing-surfacehaving a series of passages disposed radially to the center of saidchamber, a laterally-disposed packingchamber intermediate of the ends ofsaid passages, and a packing within said packingchamber.

l5. In an edge-smoothing machine, a steamchamber, a smoothing-surfacehavinga series of passages disposed radially t0 the center of saidchamber, a packing-chamber disposed to intercept said passages, and anabsorbent iibrous packing disposed within said packingchamber toobstruct the direct iiow of steam through said passages.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.WILLIAM BARTHOLOMEW.

Witnesses:

H. ELMER GEARY, J. E. BLOOD.

